Political Quotes

“I would just simply close by thanking the gentleman and by saying that what the amendment does is really allow the gulf coast communities to invest in their own futures while continuing to invest in the energy future of America. Mr. Chair, Louisiana has contributed over $160 Billion to the Federal Government through offshore oil and gas revenues--primarily from oil and gas exploration off of Louisiana's coast. From the 1950s until 2006, Louisiana didn't receive any royalties. We have received funding from the Federal government like other states, but our royalty over those 56 years was a tattered coastline. Louisiana loses 25 square miles of coastal wetlands every year or 1 football field every hour. Our state has 40 percent of the nation's wetlands, but experiences 80 percent of all wetland loss. Part of the reason is nature, but besides blocking off the natural flow of the Mississippi River, oil and gas canals are big culprits. The bill before us creates a revenue sharing scheme for east and west coast states but does not allow the states to use these royalties as matching funds for federal programs.…”